Antichrist ad not offensive, says ASA

The ASA has ruled that an advert for Lars Von Trier’s film Antichrist is not offensive. There had been seven complaints that the newspaper advert was pornographic and would be detrimental to children if viewed. The ASA, however, ruled in favour of the ad, saying that it was “unlikely to cause sexual excitement”.

The ad, which ran in UK newspapers such as The Independent and The Times was, the Advertising Standards Agency felt, unlikely to be seen by children and if it was, would not cause offence as it was “not considered particularly explicit”.

Further, "the dream-like context, introduced by the hands protruding from the tree, had the effect of making the image of the naked couple seem removed from reality."

Come on. We know what they’re getting at, so why don’t we just come out and say it: a peek at Willem Dafoe’s buttocks is unlikely to cause sexual excitement in anyone.